Festuca ovina L.

Graminae

Synonyms

Common names

Sheep fescue (English), Fétuque ovine (French), Schaf schwingel (German).

Description

Perennial plant, small size, hairless, cespitous. Stems erect, 20 - 50 cm high. Needle blade, narrow (about 1 mm), greyish green to bluish green, rough. Ligule very short. Auricles very reduced, sometimes distinct. Panicle-like inflorescence, short (3 to 10 mm), with erect or more or less spreading branches. Spikelets with 3 - 8 aristate flowers. The weight of 1000 seeds is 0.8 to 1.0 g (average seeds). Chromosome number: 2n = 28 (tetraploid). Physiological peculiarities: Maximum number of leaves per tiller: 6.2.

Temperature

Widespread in climates of the temperate and the Mediterranean area. Thrives in warm microclimates. High resistance to cold. Does not tolerate shade.

Water

High resistance to drought. Does not tolerate humidity.

Soil

Restricted to very dry soils. Only on soils very poor in nutrients, very acid or, at the opposite, basic. It can be found on sandy soils or on very shallow stony soils originating from very diverse parental rocks.

Distribution

Native to Europe, temperate Asia and North America. From the sea-level to high altitudes in mountain areas. More abundant in the mountains. There are several subspecies in Europe.

References